Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has provoked significant frustration among ministerial colleagues by declining to share what they consider crucial data regarding the impact of her migration policy changes. Sources indicate that Mahmood has repeatedly refused to reveal the extent to which she expects homelessness to rise as a direct result of reforms to the asylum system. This lack of transparency has created a tense standoff within the government, with ministers from other departments scheduled to meet in the coming days to negotiate a compromise amid warnings of a potential staffing crisis in the care sector.
According to one source familiar with the situation, Mahmood was asked multiple times for the Home Office's assessment regarding the effects of her changes on homelessness and community cohesion, but she flatly refused to engage. While the Home Office maintains that it cannot quantify the exact impact because the policy details are not yet finalized, insisting the new system is designed to minimize destitution, other government officials believe the department could provide more information but chooses not to admit the scale of disruption. This opacity has caused considerable frustration among ministers working on the government's initiative to end rough sleeping.
The controversy stems from changes announced last November by Mahmood, which include ending permanent leave to remain and removing the government's duty to support individuals who would otherwise become destitute. Although Mahmood argued these measures would restore order to the immigration system and reduce the appeal of hard-right parties like Reform UK, an impact assessment released this month by her department admitted that homelessness could increase. The document warned that if repayments significantly reduce disposable income, some individuals might face financial hardship, potentially increasing demand for homelessness services and creating cost pressures for local authorities.
Concerns about these proposals were raised early on by former ministers Ali McGovern and Miatta Fahnbulleh, who were supported by then-Housing Secretary Steve Reed. They feared that moving asylum seekers out of hotels could lead to more people sleeping on the streets and jeopardize the government's target of halving rough sleeping by the end of the parliament. Although they secured a meeting with then-Home Office minister Alex Norris, they felt their questions went largely unanswered. Fahnbulleh resigned from the government before a formal letter demanding information could be sent, a move that contributed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's departure.
The dispute has intensified under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has promised to provide a route off the streets for every rough sleeper by Christmas with hundreds of millions of pounds in funding. Current Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, Reed's successor, is also seeking more details on the impact of Mahmood's proposals. Rayner is particularly concerned that relocating asylum seekers from hotels into houses of multiple occupancy could reignite anti-immigration protests. She has also argued against changes to legal migration, advocating for exemptions for care workers to prevent a sudden exodus from the sector, a concern reportedly shared by Burnham.
A government source noted that while the Prime Minister supports Mahmood, he is clear that ministers must resolve the policy details and ensure vulnerable sectors receive necessary support. The issue is expected to be resolved within the next ten days following a series of high-level meetings. A Home Office spokesperson stated that the policy underwent normal cross-government processes and insisted that ending asylum hotels will not leave people homeless, claiming the reforms have already saved taxpayers over £1bn since the election.
Sources: The Guardian Politics.